US sanctions ten targets in Cuba military and oil shipping networks

The United States imposed sanctions on ten targets, including Cuban elites, an oil shipping network and China-based suppliers, on Thursday, the U.S. State Department said in a statement.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Cuba's ruling elite is keeping the island's energy, shipping and technology resources for its own gain, while ordinary Cubans face blackouts and shortages.

The measures were taken under Executive Order 14404, signed by President Donald Trump, which targets those responsible for repression in Cuba and threats to U.S. national security.

Among those named is Guillermo Faustino Rodriguez Lopez Calleja, whom the department linked to a wide network of offshore shipping companies that move Cuban crude oil to and from the island.

The department also designated Any Rodriguez Lastres, the daughter of Ania Guillermina Lastres Morera, who was previously sanctioned as president of the Grupo de Administracion Empresarial, known as GAESA.

The department also identified five associated vessels as blocked property.

The Department of the Treasury separately issued a determination that allows economic sanctions on any foreign person operating, or having operated, in the electronics, manufacturing, marine and technology sectors of Cuba's economy.

Rubio said the administration will not allow the Cuban regime to channel the island's resources to its military elite, or to use Cuba as a base for hostile actors plotting against the United States.

The actions also build on Executive Order 14380 and National Security Presidential Memorandum 5, which the department said aim to improve human rights, encourage the rule of law and promote democracy in Cuba.

The department pointed to a fact sheet for more information on the latest action.

Washington has maintained sanctions on Cuba for decades, and relations between the two countries have remained strained for much of that time.